Bobbin drive mechanism for roving frames



Oct. 10,1967 'J. R. LONG BOBBIN DRIVE MECHANISM FOR ROVING FRAMES 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 15, 1966 INVENTOE. \ToHN R. LoNq m, 1214, M5 www ATTORNEYS Oct. 10,1967

J. R. LONG BOBBIN DRIVE MECHANISM FOR ROVING FRAMES Filed Feb. 15, 1966 30 i l- I I Ill" TE L I l "L I i in '5 50-4 25 I C A? 1 W H I. I 4| 40 ii 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 I I JOHN Q. LoNq INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS BOBBIN DRI VE MECHANISM FOR ROVING FRAMES Filed Feb. 15, 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORI JQH N R. LoNq ATTORNEYS United States Patent Ofifice 3,345,813 Patented Oct. 10, 1967 3,345,813 BOBBIN DRIVE MECHANISM FOR ROVING FRAMES John R. Long, Hickory, N.C., assignor to Shuford Mills, Inc., Hickory, N.C., a corporation of North Carolina Filed Feb. 15, 1966, Ser. No. 527,445 'Claims. (Cl. 5796) This invention relates to roving frames, sometimes known as fly frames, and more especially, to an improved bobbin drive mechanism for transmitting rotation from a compound gear arrangement to the usual bobbin drive shafts carried by a vertically reciprocating bolster rail.

As is well known, roving frames generally include two rows of spindles directly in front of, and just below, a series of drawing rolls. The spindles have respective fiyers thereon for guiding rovings from the drawing rolls onto rotating bobbins through which the spindles extend. The bobbins reciprocate along the spindles so the roving is wound onto the bobbin in a series of layers.

In modern roving frames, the bobbins rotate faster than the fiyers and pull the roving through the flyers from the drawing rolls. Since the speed of the front drawing roll and fiyers is maintained constant, the speed of the bobbins must decrease in a stepwise manner as the bobbin diameter increases in order to maintain a uniform take-up of the roving. Such changes in bobbin speed are effected by a pair of cones with an interconnecting shifting belt and a differential or planetary gear mechanism or compound whose rotary output member is operatively connected to the bobbin drive shafts.

In the particular type of roving frame with which the instant invention is concerned, the output member of the compound rotates in the opposite direction from that of the'bobbin drive shaft nearest the output member and in the same'direction as the bobbin shaft furthest from the output member. Conventionally, the drive mechanism interconnecting the compound output member and the bobbin shafts has included an endless sprocket chain engaging a sprocket wheel on the'output member and having its lower run extending over and in engagement with a second sprocket wheel on the aforementioned nearest bobbin drive shaft and then beneath and partially around a third sprocket wheel on the other bobbin drive shaft, thus resulting in the compound output member driving the bobbin drive shafts in the prescribed directions. Since the bobbin shafts reciprocate vertically in fixed relationship to each other but relative to the compound, the length of the chain must be considerably greater than would otherwise be required, and a suitable spring-loaded idler sprocket wheel is employed to maintain the chain under proper tension.

However, serious difliculties have been experienced in controlling the winding tension in the roving strands, utilizing the conventional bobbin drive mechanism described above, due to the fact that the distance between the compound and the nearest bobbin drive shaft changes constantly during each vertical stroke of the bobbins so that, in effect, the endless chain backs-up as the bobbins move away from each end of each vertical stroke thereof, and the chain advances relative to its normal linear speed as the bobbins are moving toward their end-most positions relative to a mean position in which the axes of the two bobbin shafts and the compound occupy substantially the same level. Thus, there has been an abnormal increase in bobbin speed as the bobbins approached and reached each end of each vertical stroke thereof and a corresponding decrease in bobbin speed as they moved away from each end of each vertical stroke. Such abnormal changes in bobbin speed have resulted in the roving being wound substantially tighter near the central portions of the bobbins or packages than at the end portions. Generally, the more densely wound portions of the packages were about one-fourth to one-third of the distance from the bottom to the top of the packages because this is approximately the position of the bobbins when the axes of the two bobbin shafts and the compound occupy the same level. It can be appreciated, therefore, that the programmed relative speed of the fiyers and the bobbins had to be such that the roving strands would not break due to excessive tension therein as the bobbins approached or reached each end of each stroke.

It is the primary object of this invention to provide an improved bobbin drive mechanism for roving frames of the type described which overcomes the problem of variable bobbin speeds during each traverse stroke of the bobbins so that the relative rotational speed between the fiyers and the bobbins may be programmed to wind the roving strands under greater tension than has been practicable with the conventional drive mechanism heretofore described, thus resulting in more dense roving packages being wound with consequent greater lengths and/or weights of roving being present in packages of given size than has been the case heretofore.

It is a more specific object of this invention to provide a bobbin drive mechanism for transmitting uniform rotational movement to bobbins during each traversing movement thereof in which a first freely rotatable means or sprocket Wheel is supported fixed radial distances from the driven rotary compound output member of the roving frame and the nearest of the two bobbin drive: shafts and for pivotal movement about the axes of said driven and output member and the nearest bobbin shaft, with other sprocket wheels and endless pliable elements interconnecting the first freely rotatable sprocket wheel with the compound output member and the bobbin shafts in such a manner that the two bobbin shafts are rotated in opposite directions at a speed in fixed proportional relationship to the speed of the compound output member throughout each traversing stroke of the bobbin drive shafts and the associated bobbins, and wherein the compound output member and the bobbin drive shaft nearest the same rotate in opposite directions.

Some of the objects of the invention have been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical sectional view of one end of the roving frame, taken substantially along line 1-1 in FIGURE 2 and showing the bobbin drive mechanism of the instant invention interconnecting the compound and the bobbin drive shafts;

, FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary sectional plan view of the end of the roving frame shown in FIGURE 1;

' FIGURE 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along line 3-3 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along line 4-4 ofFIGURE l; and

FIGURE 5 is an end view of the spindle rows of a roving frame showing the specific gear arrangement for transmitting rotational force from the bobbin shafts to the bobbins.

The objects of the present invention are accomplished by maintaining a constant chain distance between the output driving member of an axially-fixed compound and the bobbin shaft nearest thereto carried by the vertically reciprocating bobbin rail. By maintaining constant chain length and insuring proper directional rotation of the bobbin drive shafts and bobbins, uniform rotational speeds are maintained at all positions of reciprocation of the bobbins during winding.

FIGURE 1 is an end view of a roving frame, with parts broken away to show the unique drive arrangement of the present invention. Two rows of spindles 11, have flyers 12 and bobbins 13 mounted thereon for rotation. As can be seen in FIGURE 5, the lower ends of spindles 11 are appropriately geared to corresponding spindle drive shafts 15 journaled in bearings 16 carried by a fixed spindle rail 16a. The flyers are inverted U-shaped elements having a barrel 17 attached to the upper ends of spindles 11, a hollow arm 18, and a presser foot 19 pivotally connected to arm 18 by a presser arm 29 and presser balance rod 21. Surrounding the spindles 11 and axially aligned therewith are respective bolsters 22 each having a bobbin carrying member or support 23 rotatable thereon for supporting a bobbin 13. Bobbins 13 are rotationally driven by means of bobbin drive shafts 24, 24a and spiral type gears 25 fixed thereon which intermesh with bolster gears 26, sometimes known as bobbin gears, integral with bobbin supports 23 rotatably mounted on bolsters 22. The bolsters, bobbins and bobbin drive shafts are mounted on a bolster rail or bobbin rail 27 which is reciprocated vertically during the build, as is well known, and during which the bobbins 13 and bobbin drive shafts 24, 24a are raised and lowered between the solid and broken line positions shown in FIGURE 1. Since the bobbins rotate independently of and axially with the spindle and flyer, the bobbin drive shafts must be offset from the spindle axis. This requires that the individual gears 25 have angularly set teeth in order to mesh with the bolster gear 26 axially-centered on the spindle.

As is usual, bobbin drive shafts 24, 24a are also journaled in bolsters 22 (FIGURE and in suitable bearing pairs 28, 28a, respectively (FIGURES 3 and 4), carried by opposed end walls of a conventional open-topped gear box 29 fixed to and extending transversely of the corresponding end of bobbin rail 27.

In the bobbin-lead type winding system used in the present roving frame, the peripheries of the bobbins and the roving packages being formed thereon rotate faster than the flyer and pull roving from the usual drawing rolls (not shown), through each flyer barrel 17, down hollow arm 18, and through the eye 19 (FIGURE 5) of presser foot 19 onto the bobbin. As the diameter of the bobbin increases due to the build up of roving, the speed of the bobbin is decreased by suitable programming means (not shown) operating through a compound C to maintain a uniform take-up. Compound C is mounted on a main drive shaft 30 and its housing rotates in fixed relation to shaft 30. The compound receives constant input power from the main drive shaft and variable input power from the usual programming cones (not shown) to drive its rotary output member 32 at predetermined progressively decreasing speeds. The operation and construction of a typical compound used in a roving frame is disclosed in US. Patent 3,015,203, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. With the particular spiral gear arrangement on bobbin drive shafts 24, 24a (FIG- URE 5), it is necessary to design the bobbin drive mechanism so that bobbin shaft 24a (FIGURE 1) rotates in a clockwise direction and bobbin shaft 24 rotates in a counterclockwise direction while the rotary bobbin-driving output member 32 of the conventional compound C rotates in a clockwise direction. To accomplish this rotation of bobbin shafts 24, 24a, and eliminate the objectionable changes in bobbin speed which have occurred during each vertical stroke of the bobbins when utilizing prior art bobbin drive mechanisms of the type described heretofore while still conforming to the space limitations of the equipment, the unique gear and chain arrangement of the present invention is provided. It comprises a compound sprocket wheel 31 mounted on the rotary output shaft or member 32 (FIGURE 2) of compound C and which drives a first freely rotatable means or idler sprocket wheel 33 by means of a first endless chain 34. Sprocket wheel 33 is mounted on a swingable shaft 35 and maintained at a fixed distance from the compound by means of a pivotable swing arm 36, one end of which is pivotally mounted on main drive shaft 30 and the other end of which is pivotally mounted on swingable shaft 35. Arm 36 may comprise two overlapping sections interconnected by a bolt 36 extending through a slot or slots 36" (FIG- URE 1) in either or both sections of swing arm 36 so the length of arm 36 may be adjusted to vary the tension on the chain. As seen in FIGURE 3, the first freely rotatable idler sprocket wheel 33 may be a double sprocket wheel preferably mounted on shaft 35 by means of antifriction or ball bearings. Double sprocket wheel 33 is connected, by means of a second endless chain 37, to a second freely rotatable means or sprocket wheel 38 which may be a double sprocket wheel and is mounted on or adjacent rear bobbin drive shaft 24, preferably by means of suitable antifriction or ball bearings.

Means are provided for supporting the first rotatable sprocket wheel 33 a fixed radial distance from sprocket wheel 38. As best shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, the distance between the swingable shaft 35 and bobbin drive shaft 24 is maintained constant by a pair of spaced rocker arms 40 which straddle gear box 29 and are pivotally mounted on bobbin drive shaft 24. Swingable shaft 35 is carried by rocker arms 40 and preferably has a pair of eccentric portions 41 thereon (FIGURES 2 and 3) which are secured in the respective arms 40, as by set screws 41', for angular adjustment about their axis to facilitate mounting and tensioning the second endless sprocket chain 37 on sprocket Wheels 33, 38. A first drive element or driving sprocket wheel 43 (FIGURES 1 and 4) is fixed on front bobbin shaft 24a and is connected to sprocket wheel 38 by a third endless chain 42.

Fixed on front bobbin drive shaft 24a, just outside the fixed sprocket wheel 43, is a first gear 45, which may be a spur gear, which meshes with a second gear 46 fixed on a rotatable jack shaft 47 mounted just above the righthand bobbin drive shaft 24a. Jack shaft 47 is rotatably supported in suitable bearings 47' carried by brackets or plates 47" projecting upwardly from and suitably secured to opposed end walls of gear box 29. Jack shaft 47 also has a second drive element or driving sprocket wheel 48 fixed thereon which is connected, by a fourth endless chain 50, to a third drive element or driving sprocket wheel 49 fixed on rear bobbin drive shaft 24. By this unique arrangement, clockwise rotation of the compound sprocket wheel 31 imparts uniform clockwise rotation to front bobbin drive shaft 24a and uniform counterclockwise rotation to rear bobbin drive shaft 24, plus insuring proper directional rotation and uniform rotational speeds during reciprocation of the bobbins.

As can be seen from the dotted lines in FIGURE 1, as the bobbins rise on spindles 11 du-rwing winding, the effective chain distance between the axially fixed compound output member 32 and the vertically reciprocating bobbin drive shafts 24, 24a remains constant, thus obviating the necessity of there being rotational movement imparted to either of the bobbin shafts 24, 24a relative to the compound output member 32 at other than the prescribed ratios.

Although sprocket wheels 33, 38 are shown as unitary double sprocket wheels, as is preferred, it is apparent that separate wheels mounted for unitary rotation may be used in place of each double sprocket wheel. Similarly, al though sprocket wheels and chains of the silent chain type are preferably used as shown in the drawings, other types of wheels, such as V-pulleys, and endless pliable elements, such as V-belts, may be substituted for such sprocket wheels and chains without departing from the spirit of the invention.

It should be noted that the bobbin drive mechanism of this invention is so arranged that it does not require replacement of the gear box 29 with one of larger dimensions or different shape than is usually provided on roving frames of the particular type illustrated in the drawings, since the sprocket wheels 38, 43, 49 may be of about the same size as conventional sprocket wheels usually provided on the bobbin shafts 24, 24a. Gear box 29 may contain a suitable lubricant, not shown, for lubricating the associated sprocket wheels, chains and gears.

In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention and, although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for driving the vertically reciprocating bobbins and corresponding horizontal front and rear bobbin drive shafts of a roving frame having a main drive shaft mounted on a fixed axis spaced rearwardly of said bobbin drive shafts, a compound mounted on said main drive shaft and said compound including a driven rotatable output member, said apparatus comprising a first freely rotatable means spaced above said rear bobbin drive shaft,

a second freely rotatable means adjacent said rear bobbin drive shaft,

means supporting said first rotatable means for swinging movement about and at fixed radial distances from the axes of the output member and the second freely rotatable means,

first and second endless pliable elements drivingly connecting said output member to said first freely rotatable means and interconnecting said first and second freely rotatable means, respectively,

means transmitting common directional rotation from said second freely rotatable means to said front bobbin drive shaft,

first and second intermeshing gears spaced from said rear bobbin drive shaft, said first gear being fixed on said front bobbin drive shaft,

a pair of drive elements mounted in fixed axial relation to said second gear and on said rear bobbin shaft, respectively, and

another endless pliable element drivingly interconnecting said drive elements to drive said rear bobbin drive shaft.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said supporting means includes a swingable shaft on which said first freely rotatable means is mounted, at least two arms having proximal portions pivoted on the axis of said swingable shaft and having distal portions pivoted on axes corresponding to the axis of the compound and the axis of said second freely rotatable means, respectively.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which said transmitting means comprises a wheel fixed on said front bobbin drive shaft, and an endless pliable element mounted on and interconnecting said wheel and said second freely rotatable means.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said second freely rotatable means is mounted on said rear bobbin drive shaft.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said output member and said first and second freely rotatable means each comprises a sprocket wheel and said first and second pliable elements are respective first and second sprocket chains engaging the corresponding sprocket wheels.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said sup porting means comprises a swingable shaft on which said first freely rotatable means is rotatably mounted, said swingable shaft having spaced eccentric portions, a pair of spaced rocker arms pivotally mounted on said rear bobbin drive shaft and in which said eccentric portions are mounted for angular adjustment so as to vary the distance between the axes of said swingable shaft and said rear bobbin drive shaft, means for securing said eccentric portions in adjusted position, and a swing arm extending between, and pivotally connected to, said main drive shaft and said swingable shaft.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said swing arm comprises at least two relatively extensibly adjustable sections.

8. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said transmitting means comprises a sprocket wheel fixed on said front bobbin drive shaft, and an endless chain engaging and extending between said last-named sprocket wheel and said sprocket wheel of said second rotatable means.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said pair of drive elements are also sprocket wheels, and wherein the pliable element interconnecting said pair of drive elements is an endless chain engaging said drive elements.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said roving frame includes a vertically reciprocating bobbin rail supporting said bobbins and said bobbin drive shafts, bracket means carried by said rail, and a jack shaft rotatably mounted on said bracket means above said front bobbin drive shaft and on which said second gear and said drive element in fixed axial relation to said second gear are fixedly mounted.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,486,831 3/1924 Brook 5799 2,548,719 4/ 1951 Goodgame 5792 3,015,204 1/1962 Long 5798 3,089,302 5/1963 Williamson 5796 3,203,163 8/1965 Long 5798 FRANK I. COHEN, Primary Examiner. J. PETRAKES, Assistant Examiner. 

1. APPARATUS FOR DRIVING THE VERTICALLY RECIPROCATING BOBBINS AND CORRESPONDING HORIZONTAL FRONT AND REAR BOBBIN DRIVE SHAFTS OF A ROVING FRAME HAVING A MAIN DRIVE SHAFT MOUNTED ON A FIXED AXIS SPACED REARWARDLY OF SAID BOBBIN DRIVE SHAFTS, A COMPOUND MOUNTED ON SAID MAIN DRIVE SHAFT AND SAID COMPOUND INCLUDING A DRIVEN ROTATABLE OUTPUT MEMBER, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING A FIRST FREELY ROTATABLE MEANS SPACED ABOVE SAID REAR BOBBIN DRIVE SHAFT, A SECOND FREELY ROTATABLE MEANS ADJACENT SAID REAR BOBBIN DRIVE SHAFT, MEANS SUPPORTING SAID FIRST ROTATABLE MEANS FOR SWINGING MOVEMENT ABOUT AND A FIXED RADIAL DISTANCES FROM THE AXES OF THE OUTPUT MEMBER AND THE SECOND FREELY ROTATABLE MEANS, FIRST AND SECOND ENDLESS PLIABLE ELEMENTS DRIVINGLY CONNECTING SAID OUTPUT MEMBER TO SAID FIRST FREELY ROTATABLE MEANS AND INTERCONNECTING SAID FIRST AND SECOND FREELY ROTATABLE MEANS, RESPECTIVELY, MEANS TRANSMITTING COMMON DIRECTIONAL ROTATION FROM SAID SECOND FREELY ROTATABLE MEANS TO SAID FRONT BOBBIN DRIVE SHAFT, FIRST AND SECOND INTERMESHING GEARS SPACED FROM SAID REAR BOBBIN DRIVE SHAFT, SAID FIRST GEAR BEING FIXED ON SAID FRONT BOBBIN DRIVE SHAFT, A PAIR OF DRIVE ELEMENTS MOUNTED IN FIXED AXIAL RELATION TO SAID SECOND GEAR AND ON SAID REAR BOBBIN SHAFT, RESPECTIVELY, AND ANOTHER ENDLESS PLIABLE ELEMENT DRIVINGLY INTERCONNECTING SAID DRIVE ELEMENTS TO DRIVE SAID REAR BOBBIN DRIVE SHAFT. 